Muslim and Catholic Experiences of National Belonging in France - (Islam of the Global West) by Carol A Ferrara (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Through a comparative ethnographic analysis of divergent French Muslim and Catholic experiences of (non)belonging and civic engagement, this book offers new insights into the consequences of majoritarian national identity upon the lives of variously positioned pious citizens. Drawing upon 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Paris, Lille, and Lyon, France within spaces of religious education and interfaith dialogue, the book illustrates the constraints that Muslims face as compared to their more privileged Catholic co-citizens"--

Book Synopsis

How do experiences of national identity and belonging differ for French Muslims and Catholics respectively? What can these differences tell us about the causes and dynamics of minority marginalization in plural secular societies?

To address these questions, Carol Ferrara draws upon extensive ethnographic fieldwork across France within spaces of religious education and interfaith dialogue, illustrating the inequities between Muslim and Catholic citizens in opportunities for national belonging, political and civic engagement, and institution-building. This reexamination of Muslim exclusion against the backdrop of Catholic inclusion calls into question popular explanations for minority marginalization - especially those that blame non-adherence to French Republican principles or the exclusionary power of secular discourse.

Instead, Ferrara argues that the boundaries of French belonging are policed by francité -a tacit national imaginary ideal-type that draws upon and reproduces national cognitive biases and undermines the French republican values of secularism, equality, liberty, and fraternity.

Given the central role of francité in the politics of belonging, Ferrara suggests that paths toward greater pluralism in France and beyond lie in the reframing of national identity narratives and reimagining the inclusive potential of secular democratic values.

Review Quotes

"A masterful guide to the complexities of communitarian politics in 21st Century France."
Jonathan Laurence, Professor of Political Science, Boston College, USA

"In this comparative ethnography, Ferrara provides a sharp and thoughtful intervention into the complexities of laicité and secularism. Building off of Leopold Senghor's notion of francité, or Frenchness, she illustrates how Muslims are excluded, yet Catholics are included in a 'secular' France."
Jean Beaman, Author of 'Citizen Outsider: Children of North African Immigrants in France'

About the Author

Carol A. Ferrara is Assistant Professor at Emerson College, USA.